Electrically operative sterilizer



July 19, 1932. w; R HOQVEN 1,868,323

ELECTRICALLY OPERATIVE STERILI ZER Filed Aug. 14, 1950 I s Sheets- Sheet 1 HG j. FZG I.

y 9, 1932 w. R. HOOVEN 1,868,323 I ELECTRICALLY OPERATIVE STERILIZER Filed Aug. 14, 1950 s, Sheets-Sheet a Patented July 19, 1932 WILLIAM ROY HOOVEN, F BROOKLINE, PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRICALLY OPERATIVE STEBILIZEB Application filed August 14, 1930. Serial 415,165.

My invention is designed for installation upon the wall of a bathroom to temporarily receive and sterilize toothbrushes. However, the embodiment of my invention hereinafter 6 described is adapted for sterilizing any article which will fit within itscasing, for instance, dental and surgical instruments, and may be portable.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings: Fig. I is a front elevation of a convenient embodiment of my in vention. 15 Fig. II is a rear elevation of the structure shown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a plan view of said structure with the door open.

Fig. IV is a front elevation of said structure with the door open and the electrical connections indicated diagrammatically.

Fig. Vis a perspective-view of the rear of the casing, corresponding with Fig. II.

Fig. VI is a perspective view of the front of the casing, corresponding with Fig. IV, but on a smaller scale.

Fig. VII is a diagram of the electric connections, as seen from the rear of said casing 1 and corresponding with Fig. II. In said figures, the casing 1 is conveniently formed of bakelitc. or other suitable material. divided into compartments 2. 3, and 4; said compartments 2 and 4 being opened at the front and closed at the back by respective walls 6 and 7, and said compartment 3 being opened at the back and closed at the front by the wall 8. The arcuate rack 9 is rigidly connected with said wall 8 and has notches 10 in its perimeter to detachably engage tooth brushes or other articles which are to be sterilized.

Said casing 1 is provided with the door 12, conveniently connected therewith by hinges 13, and of such hollow configuration as to form a cover for said rack 9, and the articles suspended in the latter. when said door is in the closed position indicated in full lines in Fig. I and in dotted lines in Fig. III. Said door may be provided wth a catch adapted to swing over the projection 16 on said casing 1. Whether provided with such fastening means or not said door 12 is adapted to inclose the sterilizing chamber 17 surrounding the articles to be sterilized.

The sterilization above contemplated is conveniently effected b heating the atmosphere in said chamber 1 to a temperature of, say, 200 F for a period of, say, twenty minutes. Such heating effect may be conveniently attained by electrically energizing the .9 coil 19 in said compartment 4, by way of the conductors 20 and 21 which extend through the flexible conducting cord 22 to the connecting plug 23 which may be detachablyconnected with any suitable electrical supply cir- Q cuit. The air heated by said coil 19 is deflected outwardly and upwardly by the inclined top wall 4: of said com artment 4.

The circuit including said eating coil 19 includes the switch 24 provided with the 10 lever 25 for manually closing it and the clock mechanism 26 for automaticall opening it after a predetermined interval 0 say, twenty minutes. Manually depressing said lever 25, conveniently by the left thumb, in opposition [5 to the stationary hook 25,engagedbythefirst finger, not only operates said switch 24 to close the circuit between the terminals 27 and 28, by the metal roller 29 carried by said lever 25 in insulated relation therewith, but winds the spring 30 of the clock mechanism which, thereupon, proceeds to unwind and after a predetermined interval trips said switch by means of the lever 31, to open 1t. Said switch 24 is a springpressed tog le lever 86 pivotally connected with the hand ever 25 and is shown in open position in Figs. II and VII, and in closed position in Fig. IV. In closed position said roller 29bears upon both the terminal plates 27 and 28 and elec- 00 trically connects them.

However, as maintaining said circuit continuously closed to energize said coil 19 for the time limited by the operation of said clock mechanism, may raise the temperature within the sterilizing chamber 17 beyond the degree desired, I include in said circuit the thermostatic switch comprising the terminal 32 with which said conductor 20 is connected, and the terminal 33 which is connected by the conductor 34 with "said coil 19 and through the latter to said conductor 21. Said termiefiicients of heat expansion. Said lever is fulcrumed at 39 in the frame 40 which carries saidterminals 32 and 33 in insulated relation therewith, and the arrangement in such that the circuit is normally completed through said lever 38 butis broken when the latter is subjected to a temperature in the chamber 17 'in excess of that for which said screw 36 is adjusted, say, 200 F.

The. apparatus above described is operated as follows: i

The conductors 20 and 21 being connected with an electrical supply circuit eitherby way of the cord 22 and plug 23 or otherwise, the circuit is normally open with the lever 25 in its upper position shown in Figs. I and II. However, when said lever 25 is depressed to the position shown in full lines in Fig. IV, the circuit is closed through the heating coil 19 and the clock wound and started to operate for, say, twenty minutes. However, the desired temperature may be attained in two minutes with the effect of breaking the circuit by first bending said lever 38 until its arm 37 bears against said screw '36 and then uplifting the lever 38 from its contact 33; but

that contact is restored if and when the atmanually depresses the lever 25. Said lever' 38 and its arm 37 return to the normal position shown, in Fig. IV, as the temperature in the sterilizing chamber 17 returns to nor Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential feacasing and included in the circuit of said heating coil; a hollow door carried by said casing and adaptedto inclose a sterilizing chamber at the front of said casing; and meansin said chamber adapted to support articles to be sterilized; whereby said sterilizing chamber is readily accessible but said switch mechanism is rendered inaccessible regardless of the position of said door.

2. A sterilizer casing including a plurality of separate compartments respectively open at the front and back of said casing and formed of molded synthetic resin, and a hollow door formed of synthetic resin removably fitted to said casing and adapted to form a sterilizingchamber at the front thereof.

3. A sterilizer casing having a front wall in spaced relation with the back thereof; an arcuate support fixed on said front wall and having a plurality of notches adapted to receive articles to be sterilized; and a hollow door hingedly connected with said casing and adapted to inclose a sterilizing chamber. containingsaid arcuate support.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this twelfth day of August, 1930.

WILLIAM ROY HOOVEN.

mal, which is substantially that of the outer atmosphere. v

Of course, the thermostatic switch above described may be omitted and the circuit controlled entirely by the operation of the clock mechanism aforesaid. Moreover, although I prefer to form said casing and door of molded synthetic resin, they may be formed of other insulating material, or material which is not dielectric. Furthermore, a thermostatically operative switch constructed and operative otherwise than as above described may be employed in conjunction with the clock mechanism to break the heating circuit at a predetermined temperature, independently of the clock mechanism. 

